184 Proceedings. 



West India Islands, the juice of which has been considered an antidote to the 

 poison of serpents and venomous insects, and when administered in certain pre- 

 scribed modes to secure immunity from their bites. 



The Secretary reported receipt of a short paper by Mr. Hawkes, of Franklin 

 Village, upon the Sphoeria G-unnii, lately read at a meeting of members of the 

 Society at Launceston. 



The Secretary read a communication from the Eev. T. J. Ewiag, of New Town, 

 accompanjong Part I. of a classified catalogue of the Birds of Tasmania, which 

 Mr. Ewing has tmdertaken to complete forthwith for pubUcation. The reverend 

 gentleman has offered to place at the disposal of the Society for then* hbrary a 

 copy of that portion of his stupendous collection of descriptions of species which 

 embraces the Ornithology of Tasmania. 



Tables of Meteorological Observations taken at Government House dm-ing the 

 months of May, June, and July last, by Mr. F. Stanley Dobson, were laid before 

 the meeting. 



Tables of Meteorological Observations made daUy at Norfolk Island, fi'om 

 1st April, 1853, to 31st March, 1854 last, were also submitted to the meeting. 



Mr. Mac Naughtan read a carefully-compUed statement of the characteristics and 

 qualities of the Torbane Mineral, as compared with the ordinary coals of England 

 and Scotland, with the cannel coal, and with the combustible schist from the 

 Mersey Eiver. The subject excited much interest, and led to a protracted dis- 

 cussion, in which many of the members present joined. 



Mr. Phineas Moss then read an interesting paper " On the Science of Astronomy 

 as known to the Ancient Jews," which was amply supported by quotations of the 

 original Hebrew fi-om the Scriptm'es, throughout which Mr. Moss showed there 

 were numerous allusions and circumstances having reference to the subject fi'om 

 the time of Job (about 1400 years before the Christian era) downwards. 



Conversation was kept up till after ten o'clock, when, upon a vote of thanks 

 having been passed to the various persons who had made presentations and pro- 

 duced papers, His Excellency the President left the chair ; and the meeting sepa- 

 rated about half-past ten, to meet as usual on the second "Wednesday of next 

 month. 



